Continuous printing method and apparatus therefor



Dec. 29, 1936. R. B. KELLER 2,066,179

CONTINUOUS PRINTING METHOD AND APPARATUS THEREFOR Filed June 18, 1935 s Sheets-Sheet 1 INVENTOR RA Y B. KELLER ATTORNEY Dec. 29, 1936. R. B. KELLER CONTINUOUS PRINTING METHOD AND APPARATUS THEREFOR Filed June 18, 1955 F IG.2..

3 Sheets-Sheet 2 "nbu IIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIII 11- INVENTOR RA Y B. KELLER ATTORN EY Dec. 29, 1936. I R. B. KELLER 2,066,179

CONTINUOUS PRINTING METHOD AND APPARATUS THEREFOR Filed June 18, 1935 3 Sheets-Sheet 3 \NVENTOR RAY a M62453? 1 ATTORNEY Patented Dec. 29, 1936 CONTINUOUS PRINTING METHOD AND APPARATUS THEREFOR Ray B. Keller, Erie,'Pa., assignor to Hammermill Paper Company, Pennsylvania Erie, Pa., a corporation of Application June 18, 1935, Serial No. 27,147

14 Claims. (Cl. 101-219) This invention relates to a method and apparatus for successively printing a series of 1mpressions on a continuous web of paper or other printing surface.

one object of this invention is to print continuous parallel rows of impressions on a continuous sheet of paper, which may then becut longitudinally and/or transversely or, if desired, re-wound to match the first impression on one roll with the first impression on other rolls.

A particular feature of the invention is the use of an endless belt carrying the printing forms which may be easily exchanged for another belt carrying a different set of forms. This endless belt is arranged in loops or spirals so that a plurality of printing forms on the belt can be used for printing simultaneously on the same printing surface. A further object is to provide simple and eflicient apparatus for carrying out my invention. Further objects and advantages will be more apparent from the description of one embodiment of my invention which is illustrated in the accompanying drawings, and in which:

Figure l is a somewhat diagrammatic side view of an assembly for printing in accordance with my invention. I

Figure 2 is a plan view of the apparatus taken on the line 2-2 of Fig. 1.

Figure 3 is a view of an enlarged section of the endless belt used in my apparatus for carrying the printing forms.

Figure 4 is a view of the belt shown in Fig. 3, looking at one edge thereof.

Figure 5 is a plan view of my apparatus shown in Fig. 1, taken on the line 5-5 thereof. Figure 6 is a cross section of the belt taken on the line 6-6 of Fig. 3, and

Figure '7 is a side elevation of my apparatus taken on the line of Fig. l;

In the drawings, numeral l0 indicates a roll of paper or other material on which it is desired to print a series of impressions'in parallel rows. This paper or other material may be of any desired width, depending .upon the number of parallel rows to be printed and the respective width of each row. A strip of paper II is unwound from this feed roll and passed under a freely rotating guide roll l2,- between rolls l3 and H, between the perforating rolls l5 and I6, and is finally wound up on the roll H. The roll I3 is preferably provided-with a perfectly smoothsurface,

' which may be of suitable yielding material such as rubber, and is simply designed to support the paper so that the impressions carried on the belt l8 may be pressed against the paper by the printing roll I to the desired degree. Roll l3 may be adjustable vertically,'if desired, to provide means for varying the printing pressure. Belt I8 is an endless belt of any desired construction .which may, for example, be made of thin sheet steel l9, 5 having cemented thereto by the layer of adhesive.

20 any suitable number of rubber. or other printing forms 2|. These forms 2| are preferably flexible andhave' their outer surfaces molded to provide a type or printing face suitable for-im- 1 pressing ink onto the paper surfacein the desired formations. The continuous belt 18 is looped around the printing roll 14 being guided by flanges 22-thereon and from the printing roll 1 passes upwardly around pulleys 23,25 and down'-- 5 wardly again around the printing roll 14-. The first loop of the belt 18 around the printing roll I should be made at one end of said roll and the second loop of the belt [8, after passing over.

pulleys 23, 24, is made adjacent the first loopin 2o 7 a groove formed by a second of the set of flanges on the roll l4 thusproviding a plurality of loops wound in a spiral about said printing roll. These flanges 22 on printing roll [4 provide grooves just:, i sufficiently deep to receive and guide the; .endless 25 belt l8 allowing the printing forms 2| to extend out beyond said flanges asufficient distance to be pressed against the paper surface during the printing operation. In order to prevent twisting of the continuous 30 belt, pulleys 23, 24 are preferably also provided with flanges 25 and rotatably mounted on the shafts 26 and 21, respectively. which are set atan angle to the axis of .roll M, as shown in Fig. 5,

to thus give the belt a lead in accordance with 1 its width. The belt may make any desirednumber of turns around the printing roll Hand pulleys 23 and 24 although, as illustrated, the belt is shown with ten loops thereby designed to provide ten parallel rows ofimpressions on the paper I I-. 40 It is apparent, of course, that by properlyQspacingthe spiralloops of belt l8 on the printing roll, the rows of impressions on the paper may be spaced apart to any desired degree.

On-the feed side of the roll I4, suitable inking rollers 28 are provided which may, for example, be made of hard rubber and mounted to freely rotate, carrying printers ink therebetween. One'of these inking rollers bears directly on each of the loops of the continuous belt and thus provides the necessary material for efiecting the impressions on the paper I l. Anyknown construction of inking device may be used in place of the'rollers illustrated. Where the printing is to be carried out by simply impressing a form on a sheet of soft 2 material, the inking device maybe entirely elim- 2 I inated.

As belt 18 moves around the printing roll for the last time it is carried upwardly and around the three pulleys 29 on shafts 30. Pulleys 29 may be freely rotatable and, if desired, may be given a lead opposite to the lead of the shafts carrying pulleys 23 and 24. As illustrated, the continuous belt l8 forms tenloops about the three pulleys 2 9 in a spiral the reverse of that about roll I4 and pulleys 23, 24 so that during this periodof travel made .and will be readilyapparent from'the-foreq the belt is brought to a position where it again feeds easily without buckling, or twisting on to the printing roll II. The various shafts and rolls may be conveniently mounted in a single frame 3| although any other available-mounting and spacing means may be employed. 1

, Various modifications of my invention may be going description. While I have shown ten loops of the belt about the printing roll it is apparent, of course, that any desired number may be employed. A corresponding number of loops may be employed about the pulleys 29 and two or any other desired number of thesepulleys may be employed instead'of the threeshown. .The pulleys vice the grooves 22 ,on roll I would be" also arranged spirally instead of as illustrated.

In the operation of the device illustrated, the rolls I 3 and Mare preferably driven as by the ge'ari32 at the sameperipheral'speed astheflineal speed of the "paper H to obtain'a smooth'unmarred .printing action. Guide rolls ,and per- Iforating rolls may be either driven or freely roftatabale With'the p per as is well understood'in the art. Heaters or otherfdrying means may also "beprovided to dry the ink before'the printed I web is wound up to eliminate sticking and rotary cutters maybe employed to slitthe' material a lengthwise if desired.

The terms and expressions whichI have employed are used as terms or description and not ,of limitation, and I have no intention, inthe use 1 of. such terms and expressions, of excluding any equivalents of the features shown and described or portions thereof, butrecognize that various modifications are possible within the scope of l {the invention claimed. i V i What I claim is: r

I Yrows ,of'impressionsfcomprising passing a plu- 1. A method of printing a plurality of parallel rality of loops of .an endless belt carrying print- [ingfforms into contact with a surface to re i said impressions. r i

rows of impressions comprising inking printing forms carried by an endless belt, and passing a plurality of loops of said belt into contact with' a surface to receive said impressions.

3. A method of printing aplurality of parallel .rows of impressions comprising inking printing formscarried by an endless belt, and passing a plurality of loops .of said belt into contact with a continuous sheet of paper like material and 2.1 A method of printing a plurality of 'parallel 2,066,179 7 e moving said material at substantially the same" speed as said endless belt.

4. A method of printing a plurality of parallel rows' of impressions comprising passing a plurality of loopsof an endless belt carrying printing formsspirally about a. roll andmoving-a surface to receive said impressions into contact with the belt carried by said roll.

5. A method of printing a plurality of parallel rows of impressions comprising passing a plurality of loops ofan endless belt carrying print- I ing forms spirally about a roll, inking the forms carried by said roll and moving a surface to receive said impressions into contact with said inked forms.

6. Amethod of printing a plurality of parallel rows'of impressions comprising passing a plurality of loops of an endless belt carrying printing forms spirally about a roll with one of said loops larger than the others and being "festooned in a spiral separate from the aforementioned spiral and inreverse direction thereto and moving a surface to receive impressions into contact with the loops of said belt carried by the roll.

'7. Apparatus for printing a plurality of paral-Q lel rows of impressions comprising an endless belt a carrying asuccession'of printing forms spirally looped about a roll andmeans for passing'a'surface to receive said impressions into contact with the forms carriedby said roll. 1

f 8. Apparatusfor printing a plurality of parali lel rows of impressions comprising aroll, means j for passing a plurality of, loops of an endless belt carrying printing forms spirally around said r'oll, means for inking the forms on saidjloops, and means for passing a surface to receive impressions into contact with said inked forms.

9. Apparatusfor printing a plurality of ,pa'ral lel rows of impressions comprising a roll; means carrying printingforms spirally about one of said rolls, andmeans iorv passing asheet'of material'to receive said impressions between said rolls. J 1i I 11. Apparatus for-printing a plurality of parallel rows of impressions. comprising a roll, a series of pulleys, an endless belt carrying a succession of printing forms, said belt being spirally wound about said roll and said pulleys, with the loops formed between the beginning andending of said spiral passing overother pulleys,. and

means for passing a sheet ofmaterial'to receive impressions into-contact with the printing forms Q carried by said roll.

12. Apparatus for printing a plurality of paral-' lel rows ofimpressionscomprising a roll,a se-f ries of pulleys, an endless beltcarrying a suc-l .'cession of printing-forms, said belt being spirally wound about said roll and said pulleys, withthe loops formed between the beginning andending,

of said first mentioned spiral wound: in a reverse spiraLabout a second set of pulleys, and

means for passing a sheet of material to receive 15 impressions into contact with the printing forms carried by said roll. v

13. Printing apparatus for printing a pluralityrof rows of impressions comprising an endless belt having a plurality of printing forms thereon, means for supporting a plurality of loops of said belt, and means for passing a surface to receive impressions into contact with forms on said loops.

14. A method of printing a plurality of rows of impressions on a strip of material and-parallel to said strip,,comprising conducting a series of printing forms successively into contact withdifferent laterally extending portions of said strip, 5 and moving said forms in the same direction as said strip at the time of contact therewith.

RAY B. mama. 

